What things cost in 2006
In 2006, a dozen eggs averaged $1.31, a gallon of whole milk averaged $3.08 and a pound of white bread averaged $1.08. Here are 48 everyday prices from that year beside September 2026’s, plus each one in today’s dollars.
Yearly averages of BLS monthly pricesToday: September 2026
One dollarConsumer Price Index, all urban consumers
2006$1.00Sep 2026$1.67
It takes $1.67 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2006: prices overall are 1.67 times as high.
- Items priced in 2006
- 48Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 16Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 32Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 1.67×CPI-U, 2006 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 2006 and now
One of each: a dozen eggs, a gallon of whole milk, a pound each of white bread, ground beef, whole chicken, bananas and coffee, and a gallon of regular gas.
2006$15.03Sep 2026$31.53
Up 110% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 2006 bag cost $25.12, so after inflation it is up 26%.
- Eggs per dozen2006: $1.31Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon2006: $3.08Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb2006: $1.08Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb2006: $2.22Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb2006: $1.05Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb2006: 50.0¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb2006: $3.20Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon2006: $2.59Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 2006
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2006. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2006 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.73 | $1.99 | down 31.2% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.60 | $4.55 | down 24.3% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.72 | $4.74 | down 23.8% |
| Chicken breast, bonelessper lb | $3.30 | $4.20 | down 23.8% |
| Bananasper lb | 50.0¢ | 65.6¢ | down 21.6% |
Dearest now, compared with 2006
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2006.
| Item | 2006 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $2.22 | $6.79 | up 82.9% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $3.20 | $9.33 | up 74.3% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $3.17 | $9.19 | up 73.4% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.93 | $8.46 | up 72.7% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $3.31 | $8.53 | up 54.1% |
Dairy & eggs in 2006
5 items| Item | 2006 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.31 | $2.18 | $2.27 | up 73.9% | up 4.0% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $3.08 | $5.15 | $4.11 | up 33.3% | down 20.3% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $4.25 | $7.11 | $6.13 | up 44.1% | down 13.8% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.72 | $6.22 | $4.74 | up 27.3% | down 23.8% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $3.75 | $6.27 | $5.93 | up 58.2% | down 5.4% |
Meat in 2006
13 items| Item | 2006 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $2.22 | $3.71 | $6.79 | up 205.8% | up 82.9% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.93 | $4.90 | $8.46 | up 188.6% | up 72.7% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $2.55 | $4.26 | $6.48 | up 154.2% | up 52.1% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.05 | $1.75 | $2.06 | up 96.7% | up 17.7% |
| Chicken breast, bonelessper lb | $3.30 | $5.51 | $4.20 | up 27.4% | down 23.8% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.24 | $2.07 | $1.74 | up 40.4% | down 16.0% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $3.44 | $5.76 | $6.76 | up 96.2% | up 17.4% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.60 | $6.01 | $4.55 | up 26.5% | down 24.3% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $3.13 | $5.23 | $5.45 | up 74.1% | up 4.2% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $5.98 | $9.99 | $14.11 | up 136.0% | up 41.2% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $4.00 | $6.69 | $9.84 | up 146.0% | up 47.1% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $3.17 | $5.30 | $9.19 | up 189.9% | up 73.4% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $3.31 | $5.54 | $8.53 | up 157.6% | up 54.1% |
Produce in 2006
9 items| Item | 2006 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 50.0¢ | 83.6¢ | 65.6¢ | up 31.1% | down 21.6% |
| Oranges, navelper lb · 11 of 12 months | $1.09 | $1.82 | $1.72 | up 58.5% | down 5.2% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.53 | $2.56 | $2.13 | up 39.2% | down 16.7% |
| Grapefruitper lb | $1.11 | $1.86 | $1.62 | up 45.8% | down 12.8% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) | $2.04 | $3.41 | $2.84 | up 39.1% | down 16.8% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 53.4¢ | 89.2¢ | 98.9¢ | up 85.3% | up 10.9% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.73 | $2.90 | $1.99 | up 15.0% | down 31.2% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 86.6¢ | $1.45 | $1.64 | up 89.0% | up 13.1% |
| Lettuce, romaineper lb | $1.39 | $2.33 | $3.31 | up 137.7% | up 42.2% |
Pantry in 2006
10 items| Item | 2006 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | $1.08 | $1.81 | $1.83 | up 69.4% | up 1.3% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.42 | $2.37 | $2.81May 2026 | up 98.5% | up 18.8% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 32.9¢ | 54.9¢ | 54.5¢ | up 65.8% | down 0.8% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 49.6¢ | 82.9¢ | $1.02 | up 105.5% | up 23.0% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 54.9¢ | 91.8¢ | $1.12 | up 103.6% | up 21.8% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 85.8¢ | $1.44 | $1.38 | up 60.2% | down 4.2% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $3.20 | $5.35 | $9.33 | up 191.3% | up 74.3% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.88 | $4.82 | $5.15 | up 78.7% | up 6.9% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $3.47 | $5.79 | $6.67 | up 92.4% | up 15.1% |
| Dried beansper lb | 82.4¢ | $1.38 | $1.67 | up 102.6% | up 21.2% |
Drinks in 2006
3 items| Item | 2006 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.97 | $3.30 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 144.1% | up 46.1% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | $1.11 | $1.86 | $1.88 | up 68.7% | up 0.9% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $7.90 | $13.20 | $13.77 | up 74.4% | up 4.3% |
Energy in 2006
8 items| Item | 2006 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $2.59 | $4.32 | $4.48 | up 73.1% | up 3.6% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $2.63 | $4.40 | $4.63 | up 75.8% | up 5.2% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $2.69 | $4.49 | $4.96 | up 84.4% | up 10.4% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $2.81 | $4.69 | $5.43 | up 93.4% | up 15.8% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $2.81 | $4.70 | $6.33 | up 125.0% | up 34.7% |
| Electricityper kWh | 11.2¢ | 18.8¢ | 19.6¢ | up 74.5% | up 4.4% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | $1.28 | $2.14 | $1.70 | up 32.7% | down 20.7% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $2.50 | $4.17 | $5.92 | up 137.3% | up 42.0% |
How we got these numbers
- 2006 prices are the average of the monthly U.S. city average prices BLS published for that year. An item needs at least nine published months to appear.
- In Sep 2026 dollars restates each month’s price with CPI-U (336.94 in Sep 2026) and then averages the year, so “after inflation” compares like with like.
- One dollar. CPI-U for Sep 2026 divided by the 2006 average of CPI-U (201.6).
- Two items stop early. Whole wheat bread and orange juice: “now” is BLS’s newest month for them, shown under the price.
- Not listed for 2006: reduced-fat milk, butter, yogurt, 2-liter soda, canned soda. BLS did not price them for enough months that year.
Sources
- Average price data: what it is and how it is collectedU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Average price data filesdownload.bls.gov, files updated Oct 14, 2026
- CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items (CUUR0000SA0)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, monthly
Download CSV48 rows: item, unit, 2006 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price